St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-07-28
SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS IN INDIA.
A Letter for Students.
D. D. I'll, Ut Dali

Caledonian and as all students are in
terested in examinations, / write this
account of our way of working in In
dia. 1t is very generally known that
schools have very greatly multiplied
in this land, aud yet very few persons
even in India, fully realize what a
change has come over the people in
this respect. When we commenced
our mission work in this city % years
ago, no English was taught here, and
when school was opened only a dOz-
en- lads could be persuaded to enroll
their names. Now the city is full of
schools and that school which had
such difficulty to enroll IL boys, now
enrOlls about 300 in high school, fit
ting young men for college. Then no
girl read in the city, now there are
some % girls school with one of high
grade numbering l25 pupils, some of
whom are working for the high school
classes also. This is an illustration of
the growth in education. Missiona-
ries have of course taken a leading
part in all this but the English gov
eminent in India has paid special at
tentiOn also to this work. The educa-
tional department is well organized
with a director for each governors
province, an inspector for each "circle,"
and one or two deputy inspectors for
each county. Mission schools and 9TH
er independent schools receive grants
brought under the general plan of su-
pervisiOn.
India, every student knows, is full
of people, and young man has few
opportunities to rise and improve his
condition, except in government work,
hence his whole aim in getting an edu-
cation is to secure a government posi-
ton. Government in turn has passed
an order that no man shall be employ
ed in any position until he has passed
certain school examinations. Hence
the importance of our examinations.
The first of these is known as the
"middle examination" which comes in
two years before young man is fitted
for college. This includes good BUSH
ness knowledge of English, thorough
knowledge of Hindustani, all of arith-
metic, four books of Euclid, algebra,
with history, geography, something in
science, etc, etc. This is really the
business mans examination. The next
examination comes after two years
more of study, and is known as the
"entrance" examination, as passing
this young man enters any college in
India and without passing he cannot
enter any college.
The different schools which train
the pupils are not allowed to examine |
them. They are examined by the ed
ucatiOnal department.. Centres of ex-
animation are fixed and notices are
sent to each school of the time and |
place, and superintendent is appoint
ed. The director then appoints an ex-
aminer for each subject for a province;
who this is no one knows. This ex-
aminer prepares a paper of questions
printed, being kept under guard all
the time, and then the exact number
required by each center is sent under
government seal to the superintendent
assembled and seated on the day fixed,
no one having anything about him but
his pen. The superintendent brings
in the sealed bundle. A committee
certifies that the seal has not been
tempered with, and then in the pres
ence of the pupils the papers are taken
out and distributed, with little book
in which to write. The time allowed
is printed at the top of the paper and
all go to work to write replies to the
questions. Should book, or scrap
of paper, or any sort of help be found
about boy, or should boy be caught
copying from another, or aiding anoth-
er, such boy is at once dismissed for
ever from the privilege of competing.
AS soon as the time is up the books of
answers are at once sealed mp and sent
back as per directions and another lot
of questions are opened. Thus for
four days the same goes on. In the
middle examination not one third who
present themselves pass. In the Cen
trancen the proportion is little better.
In government schools no lad can go [
on towards his college course until he {
passes this middle.
At first sight the plan looks fair and
just, but it is not so. No account is &
taken of the pupils standing during the
year nor of his own school examination, !
but all is staked upon this one written
test. Often our very best pupils fail i
by few numbers in one subject, and L
our most stupid pupil passes. The $
best boy, and the one really best fitted
to go on and fit for college, is turned t
back year, and the class is broken u
up, only One-third going on. Two l
thirds on an average in all schools are :
turned back, and among those turned Y
back are sure to be some who are much t
better fitted to go on than some who |
90 on. The boy kept back has passed
m all subjects but one much better
han the one who goes on, and yet for e
he few marks in that one he fails in v
Ill.
Another injustice is done. A pupil
ails in one subject this year. He tries a